Tis the Season to Sneeze

WE'RE BACK! The Word Quilters--Karen, Brenda, Cathy, Terra, Trish and Leslie--are ready to give you hints for the holidays all the way through to December 25th. This week's theme: Memorable Holidays. In this blog you'll receive new tips for this season and you have the advantage of searching our archives for over 300 posts on a variety of Christmas related topics.

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Sneezing Season:

As I looked through some old photos, I came across one taken on a Christmas morning. My husband and children are seated on the floor unwrapping gifts. I'm snuggled into a blanket on the sofa, with a mighty red nose. Yep. I got sick the night before. Chills. Fever. Aches. Sneezing. It happens.

One Christmas much later, every grandchild was sick with colds. Our family, we're big fans of Vicks Vapor Rub on the neck, with a bandanna tied loosely around the neck to help hold in the nose-opening vapors. So that year, they padded around in their PJs with their red and blue handkerchiefs tied around their necks. We cancelled our planned brunch and Pop and I went to their home and watched them open their presents, and then we Germ Xed right outside their back door as we left.

Granted. Those aren't the Christmas memories you want to make. So, here's a few tips to avoid the common colds and flu around the holidays. Make hand washing a priority with kids. Make sure the first thing they do when they get out of school each day is to wash their hands thoroughly. During this last F1N1 season, my daughter kept a pump bottle of hand sanitizer at her entry door at home. Visitors and family alike used it before entering. No one got sick either.

Most grocery stores supply wipes as you enter, so the handles of their shopping carts can be wiped down. Use them. Keep a small bottle of sanitizer in your vehicle. Wipe hands and steering wheel down after going into stores.

Before the flu season, stock up on cold remedies and sundries. Keep on hand plenty of over-the-counter medical supplies that you prefer for colds. Who wants to run to the pharmacy for supplies when you already feel ill? And you also run the risk of spreading your germs. I read that a sneeze leaves your body traveling over 100 miles per hour, now that's some serious germ spreading, neighbor.

Suggested items for your medical cabinet, box or drawer at home: a thermometer (now available--the shake down kind without mercury, a nurse said they're more accurate than the home digitals and they don't require a battery), cough drops, cough expectorants, Mucinex, Kleenexes, Vicks Vapor Rub, Thera Flu, daytime and nighttime capsules, Tylenol--depending on the age of your household members, you'll want the appropriate medicine for every age. The variety will vary according to your preferences, but those are some things I generally have on hand to help combat illnesses during the flu and holiday season.

Shop early, prepare early, and if an illness overtakes you, then you are ready whether you get to ahchooing or not.

Hey, did I hear you sneeze? Bless you. I'm headed after the Vicks and the bandanna. I know. I know. It'll look a little weird if you drive anywhere, but just don't go inside the bank with that bandanna tied around your neck. And don't put your hand in your pocket!